{"id":2190,"date":"2020-03-23T06:59:50","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T06:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vaticantour.com\/blog\/?p=2190"},"modified":"2020-03-25T05:58:49","modified_gmt":"2020-03-25T05:58:49","slug":"five-things-to-remember-about-the-only-pyramid-in-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vaticantour.com\/blog\/five-things-to-remember-about-the-only-pyramid-in-rome","title":{"rendered":"Five Things to Remember About the Only Pyramid in Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you planning an exciting visit to the Eternal City? If so, you are probably researching the sights to see and the things to do. Most tour guides will advise you on an unforgettable Vatican & Colosseum Tour<\/a><\/strong>, as they are well justified in doing!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vatican City, the world\u2019s smallest country, is the seat of the Catholic Church and the residence of the Pope. It is the site of the grand and extraordinarily beautiful St Peter\u2019s Basilica, the spectacular Vatican Museums, the acclaimed Sistine Chapel and the world renowned Castel Sant\u2019Angelo to name just a few. You can visit these wonders with a Vatican private tour guide<\/a><\/strong> for a first-class experience.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the\nother hand, the epic Colosseum, a wonder of the world, is an iconic\namphitheatre from Imperial Rome. It used to be one of the grandest and largest\namphitheatres in its time and its architecture is a remarkable sight, and you\nshould not miss an opportunity to visit.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\nRome, as a tourist\u2019s paradise, is not just about the icons, Vatican City, Colosseum,\nRoman Forum or the Trevi Fountain. Do you know Rome has a pyramid as well? Read\nmore to discover a bit about this lesser known ancient monument.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

History<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 30\nBC, the Roman Empire conquered Egypt and a Roman expedition was led to Egypt\u2019s\nMeroe Empire in 23 BC. It is probable that the Egyptian architectural styles\ninfluenced the Romans and inspired them to build the Pyramid of Cestius.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nmonument was built sometime post 18 BC and its construction was completed in a\nyear. The edifice was built for a person named Caius Cestius to be buried in.\nHe was a powerful man and one of the Epulones, a religious college of priests,\nwho prepared the feasts in honour of the gods.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Location<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The\npyramid is located in central Rome, directly opposite the Piramidemetro station,\non the edge of Rome\u2019s Testaccio district. It stands at the intersection of three\nroads, including the ancient Via Ostiensie, and the newer Via Marmorata which\nruns along the western flank of the Tiber. A cat sanctuary stands on the grounds\nof the pyramid! In close proximity, you can also find the Protestant Cemetery\nand the Porta San Paolo.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Architecture<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The\npyramid is built in brick-faced concrete and lava rock, covered with white Luni\nmarble slabs. Its base is made of travertine limestone and it stands\napproximately 37 meters high. The tomb enclosure is a simple barrel-vaulted\ncavity measuring 5.95 metres in length, 4.10 metres in width and 4.80 metres in\nheight. The interior walls of the pyramid were painted with frescoes, only a\nsmall portion of which survives today. The pyramid, architects have noted, is\nsteeper than most Egyptian pyramids, a possible result of faulty measurements!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restoration<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Originally,\nthe pyramid was not the only one in Rome. There was another built in Vatican\nCity, which was destroyed in the 16th century in order for its marble to be\nused for the construction of St Peter\u2019s Basilica. But Cestius\u2019 pyramid\nsurvived, battling the elements for centuries and was restored in the 1600s,\nwith its frescoes discovered and treated.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\n2001, the burial room was restored and in 2011, more restoration work, funded\nby a Japanese businessman, was undertaken.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitors<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Access\nto the pyramid was closed to the general public until 2015 when only scholars\ncould go in for research purposes. However, in May 2015, the pyramid was opened\nto visitors on select weekends of every month.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tickets are to be booked in advance. Tours at the site are usually given in Italian. However private group tours (of approximately 20 persons) can also be conducted for a fee, on weekends in the second half of every month. You can easily book the best family tours in Rome<\/a><\/strong> to enjoy a wholesome experience of this fascinating site.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The\npyramid has inspired poetry as well. Take for instance Percy Bysshe Shelley,\nwho described the monument as “one keen pyramid with wedge sublime”\nin his elegy Adonais<\/em>. Also, writer Thomas Hardy wrote about the monument in\nhis work titled Rome: At the Pyramid of\nCestius near the Graves of Shelley and Keats<\/em>. The pyramid is most certainly a monument worth\na visit if you happen to be in Rome with time to spare.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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